Sep | 05 | sy Ops and The Word of God

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Psy Ops and The Word of God

Revelation 1:1-3
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants — things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near. NKJV

In my day of course, it was a former violent prisoner called ‘Fred Lemon’ who claimed that he had a life changing encounter with the risen Lord Jesus Christ, whilst in his cell in Dartmoor prison I believe. Now then, there is no question that God can do whatever He wants, and that includes appearing to people in dreams, in visions, and in Person even in the 20th and 21st centuries.

Maybe it is just with the advent of social media, I don’t know, but I hear more and more about the Lord Jesus Christ appearing in dreams speaking to Muslims in such a way that they find Christ as their Savior and convert to Christianity. Of course social media is also full of testimonies of similar dreams and visitations from the deity of Islam toward various backslidden Muslims, Christian missionaries, and even secular atheists, who in turn are then led to convert to Islam. If I was cynical, I would say the propaganda and psychological wars are heating up a little bit!

Now let me say this, it would appear that everybody who meets the Lord Jesus Christ in a dream gets saved! Therefore, if God so loved the world and wants to see everybody come to a knowledge of Him, then it seems obvious that the easiest way to do this and certainly for God this would be no problem, would simply be to carry out global dream evangelism where Christ Himself personally would appear to the nonbeliever, the unbeliever, and thoroughly save him. Surely, this is the very best form of evangelism? If, however, this dream visitation of evangelism from Jesus Christ to the global community would diminish Him in any way, then the vast amount of angelic beings, who instantaneously perform His bidding, could in turn carry out mass global dream and angelic visitation evangelism! Either of these two options are of course the very best way to evangelize a perishing world. I wonder why He is not doing it? Even so, my problem with this obvious methodology of totally successful Evangelism is in fact threefold:

First of all, dare I say it, Jesus Christ is not doing a very good job of global dream evangelism at the moment and neither are His servants the angels, for out of nearly 7 billion people on the planet it would appear that it’s just a handful of, shall we say interesting folk, who get these divine visitations to be saved. Now, again for sure, God is Sovereign and can have mercy on whom He will have mercy. Even so, if His desire is that none should perish, then this assured methodology of delivering salvation is very poorly practiced and is totally underutilized.

Secondly, I also note that this form of direct visitation and dream evangelism appears to be even utilized by Christian cults, and non-Christian major world religions. Upon comparison of the two, it seems to be being utilized quite successfully by heretics! Consider Islam or maybe Mormonism to name but two, who both appear to be growing in an extraordinary way since their foundation through dreams and visitation and through the continual amount of small converts which come to them through the same means. Of course, if there is a long-lasting and global battle between light and darkness which is based upon truth or error then we can expect such subconscious and psychological warfare. Maybe that’s what this is?

Finally, I note that this kind of dream evangelism falls outside of the direct commands of the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to every creature, one human mouth to one human ear, one human heart to another human heart, and also that the foundation of all salvation is based upon a belief and confession of the received word of God.

Friends, I do not discount the fact that people of today may have valid dreams from the Lord, and visitations from angels, and even visits from Christ Himself. Neither do I discount the fact that people today may even today have the opportunity to ascend into the heavens and see the Lord seated upon His throne, for God can do whatever He pleases and can have mercy upon whom He will have mercy and bestow favor upon whoever He wishes. Nevertheless, the stories of similar visitations are not unique to Christianity.

However, and mark this well, highlight it, underscore it and get it tattooed on your right arm, the gospel of Jesus Christ is unique to Christianity. The word of God, upon which we base every ounce of our faith and belief is a blood bought document which we must eat and which we must know and which we must proclaim. Christian! Your faith is founded upon the written word of God, and without that, you have nothing!

So then, the amount of time you spend in the word of God, the amount of time you spend eating the word of God, the amount of time you spend singing the word of God, yes indeed, how much you know of it, how much you practice it, even how little you know of it, and how little you practice it, are all evidences of how much you truly appreciate your salvation and your God.

Maybe we need to stop dreaming, and start getting into the word of God and start proclaiming it to one and all, and then actually follow the commands of Jesus Christ by making disciples.

Listen:- He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13 NKJV

Pray: -  Father, in dreams and visions speak even to me, even today. Father, in providences and the unseen and seen angelic visitations of Your ministering servants, comfort, direct and protect me, even today. But Oh my God! Give me such a hunger for Your Word that whether bitter or sweet, whether with smiles or with cries, aid me to consume it, for the betterment of my whole being and the glory of Your wonderful name. Amen and let it be so.

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Jan | 23 | Does God like horse meat?

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Does God like horse meat?

Matthew 3:7
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,"Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? NKJV

You know, everyone has an eschatological view point. I mean everyone! The Muslim, the Atheist, the Hindu, the Communist the Christian, etc. Yes, everyone holds their own eschatological view, whether it is that the end of life is the personal and utterly pointless oblivion of brain death, to becoming just food for worms, fuel for the fire, or even the return of the Jesus and the resurrection and judgment of the dead. Everyone has an eschatological view point, and with it, though it may be unacknowledged, a very strong rider that strides and directs their present galloping horse. Yes, everyone has an eschatological view point.

As for me, I fall into the historical pre-millennial camp. Indeed, when someone takes a sensible and consistent literal interpretation of the Scriptures then they can do no other. This world view, this end of the world view, even this eternal Biblical world view I hold to is a very strange set of ideas and a very demanding counter culture lifestyle to inhabit, indeed, it truly outstrips any present day lunacy you might see frothing up from the ever purporting ice-cream float flavored futurist or conspiracy theorist.

The Pre-Millennial position is quite simply summarized in this: “Christ has died; Christ has risen; Christ will come again; and when He does, it ain’t to make nice.” Indeed, the Pre-Millennial message, for some two thousand years now has been quite simply this: “Flee the wrath to come.”

Now friends, I acknowledge that there are some a-millennial brethren and a few ardent post-millenniasts of their own volition still out there, somewhere, but most, I suspect, are by now very heavily medicated. However, the vast majority of Christians and this is my point so don’t miss it, are very happy to be ignorant of the choice they have already made regarding their own eschatological position. I mean c’mon, is there really an eternal hell of perpetual suffering that their family and friends will be cast into? Well, looking at their unwillingness to fast and pray, weep and wail, tell with tears and sense of terror, you have to conclude that really they do not think so. Will Christ come and kill ‘billions’ in the so doing? Do we really have a message that is peppered with the various threatening's of ‘wrath to come?’ Are we truly in an unprecedented time of amazing grace, which at any time now, will be called, to a very sudden close whilst the molten lavic vengeance of God Most High is poured out on the planet and its populace? Well, judging by the majority of Christians life choices for both him and his family and his future prosperity, you would have to say “No and most definitely not." Yes, these plain Scriptures, which though part of their churches statement of faith, are often tucked away in a virtually undiscoverable page in a small paragraph in a watered down sentence, 'somewhere' on their churches website, are in all practicalities, rejected.

 You see, Jesus, for most Christians, is just another life policy. For sure, He's an eternal life policy but like all policies He is mostly kept in the drawer with all the other stuff for a black day, providing just a little bit of present comfort for the now, not too much really, but mostly enough to help folks live their life with a few other nice people, all trying to produce a society which will in turn provide the peace and protection needed for them to pursue dreams of present peace, private property and a good pension plan to boot, and it is the three riders my friend which ride their present eschatological horse and I tell you now, that God will kill that horse and make the riders eat it until it is vomited out of their nostrils.

Look now Christian: Your life choices betray your true beliefs.

Listen:- CThen the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying,"It is done!" And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. Now the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great. Revelation 16:17-21 NKJV

Pray: -  And so Father, we wait for Your Son from heaven, whom you raised form the dead, even Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. Amen and amen.

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Did you know that we are preaching from each of the 66 Books of the Holy Bible in the 66 Most Influential Cities of the 250 Nations of the World? That's 16,500 cities which will hear a solid prophetic message from each book of the Bible over the next 25 years! Do you want to be part of this? Then please go to www.66Cities.TV to find out how.







  

Dec | 13 | Of Hot Lips, Curvy Hips & Lovely Eyes?

Dream Word – SEE

Genesis 29:16-17 Leah had nice eyes, but Rachel was stunningly beautiful.(THE MESSAGE)

Of Hot Lips, Curvy Hips & Lovely Eyes?

Now Jacob loved Rachel. There is no doubt that Rachel was red hot and ready to be plucked. There is no doubt that Rachel was a looker, a curvy, stunning beauty, indeed of the most desirable of proportions and propositions. Her sister Leah on the other hand, well, she had nice eyes and that my friends, says it all.

When all of 'Jacob The Twister’s' chickens finally came home to roost, he, by Laban’s great deceit, found himself married to both of these pairs of eyes and the Bible records that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Well after all, why wouldn’t he? Compared to Rachel, Leah lacked the lusciousness of femininity, for after all, all Leah had was a pair of lovely eyes!

It is at this point that God steps in, closing Rachel’s womb and opening Leah’s, so much so that it was Leah who was primarily the fruitful one and it would be through Leah’s offspring that Messiah would come. Leah in the naming of her children and in the prayer of her desperation was certainly on first name and intimate terms with God. Leah, with the lovely eyes, was blessed by God and fruitful. Red hot Rachel, all ready to be plucked, wasn’t!

Despite having seemingly good eyesight, young men are mostly led by their loins rather than their head. Indeed, if truth were told tonight, most throbbings of the heart would be found to emanate some two feet further down the torso. All red hot Rachel’s ready to be plucked, seem to have that effect on men. I need to tell you tonight then, that when it comes to peace and blessedness, yes when it comes to fun and fruitfulness in all its mellowed and autumn glory, that it is the eyes which have it. If you are looking for a spouse, then look at their eyes? Where are they looking? Are they looking to God? Because if they are, they shall be lovely eyes, full of peace, blessedness and delightful fruitfulness.

Speaking as a man then, let me tell you tonight my boys, that it is the eyes which have it!

Listen: - Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10 NKJV.) 

Pray:- Lord, help me seek and search for You, desire and pray for you, to be found and be reflected even in the shallows of both my lover’s eyes. Amen.

Oct | 22 | Of Blow Holes in The Barley Corn

Dream Word – SEE


Ruth 2:2-4 Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter." So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, "The Lord be with you!" NIV

Of Blow Holes in The Barley Corn

I love the Old Testament Book of Ruth and the verses in our text for tonight, are probably my favourites from the whole of the book. Of course, being a lover of God’s deeps, I like these verses in particular, because of the two great whales that break the surface of the crashing waves and spout their presence abroad for all the world to see. Do you see them?

The scene is set for us in the book, when the pleasant Naomi has returned in marred bitterness to her former country, clan and city. Naomi left with her husband and two sons for Moab, just ten years previously. She did so because there was no bread in Bethlehem, yes, there was no bread in ‘the house of bread,’ there was no singing in Judah, ‘the land of praise!’

In those ten years away from her homeland, she lost her husband and two sons to tragic deaths and gained two lovely, but very needy daughters in law, one of whom, despite her best efforts, she could not shake from her dead apron strings and so had to drag her back to Bethlehem, to want, to ridicule, to gossip and to incessant questioning.

It has been rightly said that 'God planted a garden and man created the cities but the devil made the small town!' Here, in the goldfish bowl of Bethlehem, all Naomi’s poverty and despondency, all of her bitter declarations of the hand of the Lord going out against her, could be seen and heard by everyone and oh the gossip my friends, oh the looks, oh the condemnation, oh the accusation, oh the intense intrigue and the consistent observation of this beautiful foreigner called Ruth. My goodness friends, if it wasn’t for the whales of God’s presence, if it wasn’t for the warm mammals of Gods providence, if it wasn’t for these two giants of His goodness breaking the surface of these deep and troubled waters, then all in the story would be nothing but bleak despondency. Thank God for the whales! Do you see them yet?

This story has a good ending though. Ruth the Moabites, shall be loved by Boaz, in whom is great strength, courage, and cash! Yes, Naomi shall at last be blessed, she shall be well taken care of and children shall bounce upon her knee and from this foreign exchange, shall eventually come David the King and Christ the Saviour! At this point in the story, a testimony to God’s greatness and overwhelming and coming goodness, are the whales. Do you see them yet?

Those two whales are called “As it turned out” and ‘Just then.” An even bigger one of these giants, seen mostly spouting amongst the covers of the New Testament, is called “But God!” That’s a special one though, because it can only be seen with the eyes of faith. This particular pair however, called “As it turned out” and ‘Just then,” can be seen quite clearly on the horizon of our lives almost each and every day. Do you see them yet?

Do you know that ‘whale watching’ is akin to hearing the voice of God? Oh yes, when God speaks from the sky, some will recognize it and be both blessed and warmed, others will say it was ‘merely thunder.’ In similar manner, when folks see this pair of whales break the surface of their lives, some will cry mere ‘coincidence’ but those who shall be truly blessed by whales, shall praise the Lord! Yes, they shall raise their sail of faith, they shall prepare their nets for a great catch of fish and hope shall feed the hunger, until the catch comes in.
Whales, don’t you love them? Do you see them yet?

Listen: - So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth." Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. The women living there said, "Naomi has a son." And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. Ruth 4:13-22 NIV

Pray:- Lord tomorrow and always on the horizon of my life, may I see the whales of Your goodness, Your care, Your provision and Your presence, break the surface of all my waiting seas, in Jesus name I pray, amen!

Oct | 21 | Nasal Drips

Dream Word – SEE

Ezekiel 8:17,18 And He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them." NKJV

Nasal Drips

This time of year, this time of leaf changing, this time of chemical release from dying vegetation, always leaves me allergically congested. Subsequently, my nose runs a little, just a little and my sinus’s slowly drain down the back of my throat, trickling tickly-ness into an annoying cough and a constant clearing of the throat. It is annoying and all the throat-clearing makes it sound like I am about to say something very, very important! However all I say is “Excuse me,” to those living on the edge of such expectorant expectancy, which as we all know, can be so very tiring.

Our text for tonight, is about to say something very important, but the exact meaning of that little phrase, ‘put the branch to their nose’ is widely misunderstood amongst the Biblical commentators. In any event friends, whatever it means is an irrelevance really, for the focus of the text is not so much on the heinous practice itself, but rather the response from God to it. Whatever this nasal insult was, it became such a grievous and gross insult, such a putrid and offensive stench to His bitter and outraged heart that it perniciously provoked Him to both an astonishing and outraged anger! Yup, this secret sinning, this ‘putting the branch to the nose,’ this indulgence in idolatrous and outrageous obscenity, caused such a ‘Divine Nasal Drip’ that God coughed Himself to such a fuming fury that He phlegmed out Isreal from His Holy and congested lungs!

Make no mistake about it, the outcome of such coughing fury did result in dire and dreadful decimation, dissolution and desolation of Israel. Indeed, if God Himself had not chosen to save Himself a remnant of those who both sighed and cried at the loathsome state that their nation had gotten itself into, then the apple of God’s eye would surely have lain forever rotting upon the sodden soil.

Tonight I have to tell you that I have seen the secret sins of His leaders and His so-called prophets of today. I have seen the secret sins of God’s people today. I have seen the present indifference of God in their lives, in our lives, in the life of the church at large; it is so bad that it leads me to conclude that God is not watching, indeed that even maybe, there is no God!

If I have seen the secret sin, then make no mistake GOD HAS SEEN IT TOO!

Look! God sees! Look at the land! See the famine, see the disease of man and beast, see the fear, see the war, see the tear. Hear the vines now long since dead, crackle in the fire. Hear the other nations and the foreign cultures, now at home within us, suck the marrow from the dry bones left, see the violation of His law look at the rape of His love, be astonished at the idols now moved from the secret chambers of the heart and paraded high on haughty shoulders! Look! God sees! Look at the land!

I tell you tonight that whatever you, or your nation has put to your nose in the very face of the Lord Christ, shall cause such a fit of righteous coughing, that the very lungs you breathe with shall fill your gasping mouth with death.

Unless the idols are dealt with, the earth in all its fullness and God in all His fury shall turn against us completely.

Listen: - "'Therefore, whore, listen to God's Message: I, God, the Master, say, Because you've been unrestrained in your promiscuity, stripped down for every lover, flaunting your sex, and because of your pornographic idols and all the slaughtered children you offered to them, therefore, because of all this, I'm going to get all your lovers together, all those you've used for your own pleasure, the ones you loved and the ones you loathed. I'll assemble them as a courtroom of spectators around you. In broad daylight I'll strip you naked before them — they'll see what you really look like. Then I'll sentence you to the punishment for an adulterous woman and a murderous woman. I'll give you a taste of my wrath! "'I'll gather all your lovers around you and turn you over to them. They'll tear down your bold brothels and sex shrines. They'll rip off your clothes, take your jewels, and leave you naked and exposed. Then they'll call for a mass meeting. The mob will stone you and hack you to pieces with their swords. They'll burn down your houses. A massive judgment — with all the women watching! "'I'll have put a full stop to your whoring life — no more paying lovers to come to your bed! By then my anger will be played out. My jealousy will subside. "'Because you didn't remember what happened when you were young but made me angry with all this behavior, I'll make you pay for your waywardness. Didn't you just exponentially compound your outrageous obscenities with all your sluttish ways? Ezekiel 16:35-43 from THE MESSAGE

Pray: -Lord tonight we remember our sins. We beg forgiveness for the sins of our nation, its people and its leaders. We ask for mercy regarding the secret sins of Your church in both its leaders and its people. We ask for forgiveness and cleansing for our secret sins, our bad love idols, our kept grievances, festering angers, and unforgiving hearts. Oh, Lord tonight we cast down our idols. Have mercy upon us and restore us we pray, in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.

Oct | 03 | Giant Monkey Business

Dream Word – SEE

Genesis 6:4 There were giants on the earth in those days,......... NKJV.

Giant Monkey Business

Of course it is reputed to be the great American Huckster, P.T. Barnum, who is attributed with the quote, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute!’ Investigation seems to indicate however, that the observation is in fact attributed to David Hannum, a banker and wheeler-dealer, who was the leader in a syndicate backing the exhibition of the Cardiff Giant. Ahh! Now there’s a story.

In 1866, Fraudster George Hull, after studying Archaeology and Palaeontology, found a very large block of gypsum that contained human vein like striations. He secretly hired carvers to turn this block into a human-like figure, who had obviously died in agony whilst being turned to stone. He then artificially aged the stone giant and buried it on an acquaintance’s farm in Cardiff, New York. A year later, he had a couple of workmen, who had been hired to dig a new well, ‘discover’ the stone giant buried deep in the ground. Evangelists of the day had been preaching much around the country concerning our text for tonight and so it was quite easy to raise the ruse and ride it! Hull made thousands of dollars from people coming to view his giant fraud, and eventually the giant money-maker was purchased by a financial syndicate headed by Hannum.

The canny showman, P.T. Barnum, tried to purchase the giant for his own show for some $50,000 dollars, but when the syndicate refused to sell, he made his very own, set it up, and then began charging a dollar-a-head for viewing the REAL GIANT and then had the audacity to call the Hull-Hannum giant a fraud! P.T. Barnum had more people than Hannum who were willing to pay top dollar to see his fraud of the fraud, especially clergymen and scientific folk, and it was at this point that Hannum is reputed to have responded to the incredulity with the words, “There is a sucker born every minute!”

This month in 2008, the remains of a ‘Big Foot’ and associated non-human hybrid DNA samples, found encased in a block of ice in the remote Forests of the Northern State of Georgia were purchased for a similar P.T. Barnum sum of $50,000. When the purchasers thawed out the costly giant Saskquatch, they found it to be a rubber monkey suit peppered with meat from the deli counter! Yes indeed, ‘There is a sucker born every minute.’

I am a Charismatic. I am a man of the Word and of the Spirit and yes I believe in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and of the gift of discernment in particular. Yet never in all my life, have I seen such a dearth of discernment within the church of the living God and the associated courage to call a hoax a hoax! Never have I seen so many mis-led mugs line up to give away their hard earned cash. I look at my fellow Charismatics, so sucked into the showmanship of many a ‘Christian’ charlatan, that I have to take Hannum’s well used observation and regretfully modify it by saying that ‘There’s a sucker born again every minute and most of them are Charismatic!’

Now these are very hard words of mine I know. But there you go. I am sick of picking up the pitiful pieces of the hurt hearts of disappointed disciples. We need to wise up here folks! We need to speak up! Here is an observation of mine tonight that will help some of you to avoid such hurt and such well-fleeced embarrassment. “WOLVES might wear sheep’s clothing, yet they are always into fleecing you. So, watch your wallet and look closely at their bank accounts and lifestyle; they’re always a teller.”

The great apostles of old could rightly say this “Silver and Gold have I none!” How about those slick-faced, smiling, sheep-shearing, sharp-teethed wolves? Nope, they cannot say that at all! So brother, sister, friend, 'Go Check ‘em out!' And then please God, 'GO CHUCK ‘EM OUT!'

Listen: - And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us." So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." (Acts 3:2-7 NKJV)

Pray:- Lord! Take us by our hand and strengthen our feet, so that they might not be turned out of the way, indeed, strengthen our ankle bones, that we might leap with joy, stand before Your holiness and walk in Your temple courts, giving a good testimony to Your true and never ending goodness. In Jesus name we ask it, amen!

Aug | 07 | Spiritual Synaesthesia

Dream Word – SEE

Ezekiel 10:14-15 Each one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, the second face the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. NKJV.

Spiritual Synaesthesia

I have three confessions to make to you tonight. First, that I am not a Christian who believes that SOME of the spiritual gifts have ceased after the primary Apostolic era. Second, that I am also a Christian who believes in the fact of real signs and wonders following the preached Word and third, that I believe we are probably living in the time of the end. Now let me tell you tonight friends, that such a triple combination of belief, can lead you into giving charlatans all your loose change and hitching your wagon to some of the wackiest, way out, whirling dervish Christian circuses that have ever toured the land! And by the way, there are more and more of these each and every year. Fortunately I am from that great county of Derbyshire, where a good dose of brutal common sense was a free side order with every bag of chips. In all these things then folks, let’s speak plainly and let’s not be stupid!


Now having said all that, allow me to make some spiritual observations about the manifestation of spiritual gifts in the church. Considering something so very important, frankly there are hardly any decent and practical books on the subject available. I think this is a triple testimony to our historical fear of the charisma, our respectable embarrassment of some of them and our utter disdain of that mixed bag of manifesting fruitcakes who rob us blind, and yes, I am talking about of being robbed of more than money! Never the less, maybe this brief thought will assist some of you this evening.

In the physical, material world, synaesthesia, literally ‘with sensation,’ is a neurologically-based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway, leads to automatic and involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. In other words, people may hear what they see, or more commonly maybe, see what they hear, in terms of colour, shape and form. Yes, they may even taste a shape! Two well known synaesthetes would be the artist, David Hockney and the great composer and musician, Duke Ellington. Both of these guys used their probably hereditary ‘gift’ of synaesthesia in artistic exploration and expression. Of course, drug use and neurological damage can so traumatise the brain that it might also produce similar synaesthetic mixing of the senses. Yet this is quite different from the ‘natural’ hereditary and genetic gifting of the same. Well so what?

I am fascinated by the descriptions of heaven in the Scriptures, and so I should be! I am a citizen there and it is my eternal home. What is most wonderful for me however, are the descriptions of the marvellous composite creatures, so special to God, that they surround and seem to live near the the very vicinities of His mighty throne. Whilst no doubt being both emblematic and metaphorical, I believe these creatures are also very real! The power and the abilities of creatures of such combinational sensory perception must be extraordinary. Again I hear you say, well, so what?

What I am about to suggest tonight, will assist some of you Pastors to better counsel your flock and it will also assist some of you folk who think you are going barmy, for it has been my observation, and I just lay this out tonight for your simple consideration, that in terms of spiritual perception, in terms of spiritual ‘seeing’ even, there is a vast amount synaesthesia involved in this type of spiritual gifting, especially for those with the gifts of discernment, mercy and prophecy. I leave the questions of whether or not such a gifting may have physical manifestations, or if such anointing is also spiritually heredity, for another day. Simply to say tonight then, that many of you ‘seers’ in the church, actually experience, and should delight in such experiences by the way, this cross sensory expression of communication. This to you, will be a most personal and tailored way of experiencing the spiritual realm. I believe in the life to come we shall all bathe in similar, but far more intense cross-sensory perception, however, for now, here in the church, some people in comparatively small measure to the future life, already experience this spiritual syneasthesia.

It is important for people of spiritual gifting to band with those of the same gifts, for mutual encouragement and for investigation, instruction and correction. I wonder if many more church organisations should have ‘Schools for Prophets’ for example, instead of schools for profits? There is safety in this, for heresy happens! In any event, many of you tonight, never the less need to see what God is saying in your ear, and maybe allow yourself to feel the colour of both His nearness and instruction. There is strength for the church in such spiritual synaesthesia. So to those of you who experience this may I say to you, ‘Those who have ears to see, let them taste!’

Listen: - After that you shall come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is. And it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with a stringed instrument, a tambourine, a flute, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying. (1 Samuel 10:5 NKJV.)

Pray:- Lord, may all our “synaesthetic seers” be welcomed in Your church and subject to both Your written word and Your chosen leadership. Give to each of them O God, a good dose of Derbyshire common sense and good friends and Pastors to advise and aid them in their journey. Make them a blessing to us all, in Jesus name I pray, amen.

Jun | 30 | Reflective Donkeys

Dream Word – SEE

John 12:14-15 Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey , sat on it; as it is written: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, Sitting on a donkey's colt.” NKJV

Reflective Donkeys

It’s true! ‘A British-based donkey welfare group has started a campaign to put reflective tags on Namibia's donkeys. The idea is to make the animals easier to see at night, and thus to avoid collisions on main roads.’ Namibia, even at the beginning of the 21st Century has over 150,000 donkeys in its Northern region alone, with each householder owning at least five! The phrase ‘As common as a Namibian donkey’ is obviously well used in the vernacular of North Africa! This makes me giggle profusely!

You see, the problem is that donkeys are and always have been, figures of mirth and even figures of dumb stupidity! Certainly, on the south coast of England, being referred to as ‘a right donkey!’ is no compliment.

So, here in our text for tonight, the King of Kings rides into His earthly capitol on a figure of dumb stupidity. No state coach, no snarling Alexandrian Bucephalus, punching the skies with its strident hooves, nope, just the dope of a donkey quietly carrying the Eternal King of ages. It is a weak and stupid picture and me thinks it is purposefully so, for here the King of Kings comes slowly, steadily, surely, humbly, approachably, easy to be touched, easy to be tagged, and easy to be taken.

I wonder if even today Christian, your King has approached you in the same manner and you have failed to recognize Him, for you expected a right Royal, spotless white unnamed steed, to pound its own way across your waiting horizon in purposeful prepared and glorious redemption, charging down your enemies and trampling the devil under foot! Oh, that particular riding magnificence is coming, one day, make no mistake about it, yes and amen, the tattooed-thighed Saviour is coming to stomp His authority over the heads of the devil and all who follow him, but it wasn’t today! No, today, Jesus was still riding on donkey and maybe you missed Him because of it?

The truth is, O thought to be forgotten friend, Jesus still rides on donkeys. Think about that and from tomorrow, whenever you smell that damp offensive odour, common to all dismal drudging donkeys who have been ridden hard and put away wet, take a better look at the rider, because Jesus might just be smiling right back on at you. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Especially if they are long and furry goofy looking ones! Singing: “Hey ho, away we go, donkey riding, donkey riding, hey ho away we go, riding on a donkey!”

Listen:- Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' Matthew 25:34-40

Pray: -Holy Spirit please do me a favour tomorrow will you? Could you put some reflective tags and number plates on all the donkeys that Jesus shall be riding into my life because the truth is, I am often as a blind as a bat and dumber than a mule. Indeed, give me ears as big as a donkey, that I may hear Your voice. Eee-Aww , Amen, hallelujah and goodnight.

Jun | 02 | From The Beak Of The Eagle

Dream Word – SEE

Psalms 141:2 Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. NKJV

From The Beak Of The Eagle

As the British Empire began to close up shop, today in 1953, it would appear that the last of the well-loved, most recently respected and most dignified of British monarchs, was crowned the Queen of the peoples of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Union of South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon, and other Possessions and Territories of the falling Empire. The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II took place today in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster.

The form and order of service for that ceremony is as awesome as was her Royal Majesty on that day. From that right Royal ceremonial text, much can be drawn for our edification. However, it is from part 7 of the service, entitled ‘The Anointing,’ from which tonight we ourselves can get some instruction and unction from heaven. I say from heaven, because the very vessel, the golden eagle from whose beak is dripped the oil for the anointing of monarchs, the ‘Ampulla,’ as it is called, had apparently been delivered from heaven, via the hands of Mary, to Thomas a Becket himself. Upon the delivery, whilst getting Becket’s signature for said same heavenly package, Mary also declared that all Kings anointed with said oil, should become ‘Champions of the Church.’

The Ampulla, hidden and then lost in France for a couple of centuries, was eventually ‘rediscovered’ through a dream given to a holy man. Its subsequent propaganda use, for the reclamation of lands then lost in that fair land of France, made its ceremonial coronation use of inestimable value to any British monarch seeking the justification of heaven for the temporal conquests of any piece of earth, especially French earth.

The importance of the Ampulla became evident, when in its first use in the Coronation of Henry II, it is was given its very own chariot in his Coronation procession. Indeed, whilst being covered with a damask cloth, it was carried by no less an important figure than the sacristan of the Abbey of Marmoutier himself, the Ampulla being drawn to the Abbey of Westminster, by a milk-white steed.

Legend and propaganda apart, it is to this same Ampulla, to this same oil dripping beak of the golden eagle which we now turn attention. For in the ceremony of the anointing of Elizabeth, the Archbishop with one hand on the Ampulla and another on the consecrated Queen, says

Strengthen her, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost the Comforter;
Confirm and stablish her with thy free and princely Spirit,
The Spirit of wisdom and government,
The Spirit of counsel and ghostly strength,
The Spirit of knowledge and true godliness,
And fill her, O Lord, with the Spirit of thy holy fear,
Now and for ever;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Now we come to the important bit, the instructive bit, the apple of burning gold set in a frame of shining silver, for just before the Archbishop shall anoint her hands, her breast and her head with the sign of the cross made with the heavenly anointing oil, something of vast and vital importance is done. It is written in the liturgical order of service for the day as follows:

In the mean time, the Queen rising from her devotions, having been disrobed of her crimson robe by the Lord Great Chamberlain, assisted by the Mistress of the Robes, and being uncovered, shall go before the Altar, supported and attended as before.

“Arising from her devotions, disrobed, assisted, uncovered, going supported before the altar.” I tell you tonight, that there is no better way, probably no other right way, that either a Prince or a pauper, can be begin to set upon ANY work for which they are commissioned by heaven to do.

Do you see this? Have you thought about this? Have you begun to be devoted to God’s will in this? Attentive to His voice, ready to receive His great commission for you? Have you laid aside your crimson robe yet and approached the altar of all Heaven’s Sovereign Power, naked, supported, aided, needy? If you haven’t, if all you have done is gripped a bunch of bright coloured paper, university degrees and smiled with glee at flashing photographs, whilst looking up at the tumbling black, academic mortarboards falling down from a blue, thrown-into sky, then may God help you, and may God have mercy upon any congregation to which men have sent you to shepherd and rule over, for you shall always be a chump in the church and never a true ‘Champion of The Church.’

You see, public humbleness and expressed and naked need before the altar of the Lord, always precedes the dripping of the oil form the beak of the eagle, always precedes a successful rule, yes, and I mean always. Without it, you shall never know, neither shall you assume, your rightful and powerful, authoritative presence in the church of Jesus Christ.

Listen: - Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, "Long live King Solomon!" And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound. 1 Kings 1:39-40 NKJV

Pray:- Lord send the eagle of Your heavenly commissioning and may we feel its sharp talons, like a crown of thorns, pierce our cranial flesh, break our skulls, and stab our minds and then O our King, when we gaze to Your heaven for relief, drip from its screaming beak, the oil of Your commissioning upon our desperate and heavenward gazing heads. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

May | 23 | Making Churches Like Barbados

Dream Word – SEE

Revelation 12:10-12 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." NKJV

Making Churches Like Barbados

Water covers two thirds of our planet. God takes delight in water. However, God also takes delight in air, after all didn’t He breathe it for 33 years? Yes, like us, Jesus had a first breath and a last breath and of course, like Him, we too shall breathe again, even after death.

In this four dimensional world of ours, it is also evident that God takes delight in the placing of creatures in separate mediums. So we find creatures made for the water and creatures made for the atmosphere and the earth and indeed, in all these mediums we find the inhabitation of God’s creatures both under them and in them and between them. Yes, interestingly, God also makes creatures that can inhabit all these mediums at several depths. A sea bird for example may have its nest in the rocks, walk on the earth, fly in the sky and plunge beneath the depths to fish its food from the waters. So we then we have distinct God created mediums, with several different depths of overlapping occupancy.

In 2008, a video was released showing the current world record of “fish flight” being broken by an unnamed competitor, who glided for a full 45 seconds, “flying” at around 20mph and skimming the waves off the coast of the Japanese Island of Yakushima. Amazing! I’m talking about a fish of course and in particular about the Exocet of the sea, (Exocoetidae – flying fish) which consist of around 50 species and range throughout most of the world’s tropical and subtropical waters.

There are two main reasons given for the flight of these fish:-

Firstly, that they are trying to escape predators, and what better way to do so than leave the medium in which the predators inhabit.

Secondly, they fly very simply because they can! And who would blame them, for who among us, would dare to forbid a fish to fly? I mean come on now, it’s gotta be boring just swimming all he time?

We Christians, have since our most early start, classified and iconised ourselves among the fishies, which I suppose is especially seen with the widespread use of the ICTHUS symbol. In a similar way to the flying fish, we have in Christ been enabled to inhabit both the mediums of the material and the spiritual world. Unlike the flying fish however, we can maintain a presence in both of these mediums at the same time. For sure, at some point we shall all completely slip our corporeal anchors and soar at last to worlds unknown, but even then, it shall only be until the adoption, even the resurrection of our bodies, when we shall fully inhabit the material world to breathe again once more and also be more enabled to better inhabit the spiritual one as well. You see, we are created to be occupiers of several mediums in at least two very different dimensions.

However, tonight I want to suggest to you, that we are like the flying fish in the very same two distinct reasons for which they also fly. That is, first to escape our predators and secondly, because we can.

Firstly, we fishes fly to escape our predators. I am talking spiritually here. For our predators mostly (though not completely) inhabit the spiritual realm. Just above the surface of the material world, the dark forces of the enemy manifest in madness, manifest in lies, in dark deceits, in depressions, in ailments, in weaknesses, in sicknesses of many kinds and bondages galore, wait with these same chains, draped over clawed demonic raptors, to bind us once again. Yes, with wide blood red and angry eyes, they shuffle expectantly, moving these maniacal manacles from claw to claw, waiting for an open door, to come in and chain the long freed children of God once more. There are times then, when we little fishies, encountering these red-eyed hungry looks and hearing the clinking of these heavy iron hooked chains, need to speedily flap our tails and slip the surface of this material and spiritual interface, flying away from these mad and hungry avarice-crazed mermaids of madness, and glide to the safety of the right hand of God. For there and only there, above the blood drenched mercy seat, are the accusations, the impositions and all the cursing of the enemy, gavel’ed to the grave and pounded to the pit from whence they came. Christian, from the jaws of the enemy then, we must always fly to Jesus.

Secondly, we fish must fly because we can. There is a delight in being in the conscious presence of Jesus. For me, I must confess though, that I presently am not one of those fish of continual and conscious abiding but rather, I am one of the smaller fry, mostly flying through predatorial fear and who only sometimes through want, yes only sometimes through delight and through heartfelt desire, occasionally slip the interface of the material and the spiritual worlds to consciously be with my Jesus. I don’t do it enough. Do you?

Like most fish, I need to be in a school. I need to be with other fish who fly, so that in community, we can enjoy the feat together. Maybe after such public and communal flights, I would fly much more in private. Surely then, our times of gathered worship in the church of Jesus Christ, should be like the sunny shores of Barbados, the land of the flying fish, where the blue skies are full of silver glinting scales, all flashing in the light of the Son.

Tell me then will you, what’s your communal Lord’s Day adoration like? Are you taken to the shores of Barbados or left to eat waffles in Bridlington? (No offence). The question is this though, in our churches does our prayer and praise and preaching encourage us to slip this medium and fly away to Jesus? Yes, are our churches where the fish will fly or simply flap around inside the boat? It seems to me we need to have more churches like Barbados than we presently have like Bridlington. (No offence).

Listen: - So I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness.Selah I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest." (Psalms 55:6-8 NKJV.)

Pray:- And with my final heartbeat, I shall kiss the world goodbye, and go in peace and laugh on Glory’s side, and fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus and live! (From ‘Untitled Hymn – Chris Rice)

May | 08 | The Double, Double Cure For Gullibleitis

Dream Word – SEE

2 Timothy 3:6-9 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. NKJV

The Double, Double Cure For Gullibleitis

I declare once more, that I believe in the five-fold ministries and in the gifts of the Holy Spirit for today. I declare again, that I choose life and in doing so, I choose Jesus, yes, I always want to choose Jesus. Yet, I have to also declare once more, that most Christians are riddled through and through, with a most strange malady, indeed, a disease. This same disease, which by the way, is completely incongruent to their true character, is called Gullibleitis! God help us, for it is running rife among us and in pandemic proportion.

Gullibleitis begins to manifests itself, firstly in the talk of wonders in far-away places and then secondly in the purchase of aeroplane tickets to get there! Thirdly, it is manifest in the bringing back of bags of goodies, usually to the open mouthed waiting and expectant. These goodies vary in degree, but they are mostly bags of magic pixie dust and I have found that the wind of every day demands, eventually blows it all away. Just give it time. It’s not real, you see, it’s only pixie dust which shall always cease to sparkle in the true light of the realities of the day.

The first question I have to ask is, “Why are people running to what God is reportedly doing ELSEWHERE?” Well mostly I believe it is because of dissatisfaction. Yes, we Christians are mostly dissatisfied with where we are now, with maybe continual unanswered prayer for deliverance, for healing, for provision, for direction, for worth, even for intimacy with the Father. It’s sad isn’t it? Really, you see, the testimony of most people in our Christian walk is that ‘They still have not found what they are looking for’ and because of this, we are often sorely disappointed in our churches, our leaders and ultimately in our God, for we have never really experienced what we have been told to be true. Yes, we do feel that we have been ‘sold a pup,’ but rather than deny this 'not so good news', we seek to find fulfilment of that good news, elsewhere. This of course begs another question and that is. “Have we been exposed to the God of the Bible in grace, truth and reality in the first place?”

I have been unfortunate enough to have studied the practices of churches now for many years. I think I can say that I have been to the Emerald city itself and have dined with the great and powerful Oz and found him, indeed, to be that very little man, speaking big words and still panicking in the telling of questioning folks to “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” Yet it is to that man behind the curtain which we must pay attention to the most! For if we shall be healed of our Gullibleitis, we must examine the wheels and the steam valves, yes, all the varied bells and whistles that fills those hungry bags with pixie dust, puts the show on the road and then keeps it there, for dear friends, that is mostly what's on offer in many of these far flung destinations. Pixie dust and a show.

It has been said that full-bodied MRI scans are the worst things that can be offered to the paying patient, for you can be sure, that some abnormality will be found and indeed, possibly many. In the same way, I have no desire to search for cracks in the character of other people, or to hunt down heresy. None of us would have to look farther than or own door to find enough to repent of and correct. Especially me. Nevertheless, this blind pox of Gullibleitis really needs to be attended to for it’s spreading fast and making us both sick and thick. So, what's the cure?

Well, I have found that both the infection and the spread of Gullibleitis can only be remedied by a persistent application of two double doses of medication. The first double dose, to be taken immediately mind you, is the twin medication of the Scriptures and common sense. Without these two applied remedies, you can never have faith and any faith without it, is really no faith at all. Use the Scriptures and use your common sense and don’t let anyone bamboozle you with talk of the things of the Spirit being extraneous to this twin and daily taken medication. If you hear that it is, then be sure that it’s just the words of that little man behind the curtain having a bit of a panic, for you have found him out at last.

Secondly take the long term and twin doses of ‘Time and Taste,’ for these are usually the most embarrassing cures for those of us showered with pixie dust and overtaken with Gullibleitis. Fruit remember, is only revealed after growth and is really best tasted after seasonal ripening. Once the fruit is fully formed, only then can the quality of that which is grown be then truly judged for what it is. As a side comment, may I say that a thorough investigation of both seed and soil are also good indicators of just what might be produced!

Lastly, may I say that if we are fortunate to have His Word of promise and His ever presence, then I judge we have all that we could ever need and want, even at our very elbow, right where we are. We do not live in the 'There and Then', but rather we live in the 'HERE' and we live in the 'NOW'. Tell me then, “Is God the God of the here and now?” If He isn’t, then may I say that he is a lesser god and frankly, not worth the following. Why go traipsing across the planet bringing back bags of pixie dust, when God is here right now. Stop it!

Listen: - For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:44-45 NKJV

Pray:- Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all their troubles! Psalms 25:20-22 NKJV

Apr | 27 | The Clang of Symbols

Dream Word – SEE

Revelation 17:3-6 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. And on her forehead a name was written: MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marvelled with great amazement. NKJV

The Clang of Symbols

No, today’s title is not a spelling mistake! Rather, let it be known that symbols communicate. Yes, symbols make a sound, they inculcate a message, they congregate peoples, they educate the masses, they articulate core values, they rally the disorderly, and once they are most fully embraced, symbols define directions and ultimately rule over those people they fly over. Why do you think that after WWII and the defeat of the Nazis, every effort was made to completely remove any symbolic representation of the black, jack boot which was placed over most of old Europe then? Because it had residual and unifying power. Indeed, it is still an illegal and punishable act for the swastika to be displayed in present day Germany or Austria. Yes symbols are powerful. I think we can say these three things then concerning symbols:

Firstly,  that the creation of symbols have declarative power.

Secondly, that the emplacement of symbols have immense practical power.

Thirdly, that the application of symbols give rule.

As I write this 'Whisper', Schiller’s ‘Ode To Joy,’ it’s sentiment of unity and brotherly love so marvellously illuminated by Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, has now become the official anthem of the European union. The blue-skied background and twelve golden- starred banner has become its official flag, and the Euro, its official currency. Latin is being moved to become its official language of ‘unification, ’ its symbolic motto and tag line being ‘In Varietate Concordia – ‘United in Diversity.’ The Revived Roman Empire is now festooned with symbols of declarative power. The systems that now form under these flapping symbols arm the union with practical power and move the whole to a ruling stance. Yes Europa, robed in priestly colours, sits now ever stronger, astride her scarlet beast. These symbols speak loudly to those with uncorked ears. Are you listening?


Undoubtedly you have symbols in your life, which of those then, at least to some extent, maybe dictate, direct and rule over you? The British Pound and the American Dollar despite their maybe current frailty, still rule over many of you tonight. Pierre Cardin and Givenchy still rule over many more maybe. Mercedes and Jaguar, PhD’s and Six Golden Rings together with a multitude of other symbols, which might include even the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack, rule over many millions more.

Examine the ruling symbols of your life. If they are contrary to the symbols of God, then I tell you, you need to get yourself out from under them and raise some new and Godly symbols of your own. Yes, symbols are powerful. I think we can say these three things then concerning symbols: Firstly,  that the creation of symbols have declarative power. Secondly,  that the emplacement of symbols have immense practical power. Thirdly, that the application of symbols give rule. What symbols rule in your life tonight?


Listen: - I have also spoken by the prophets, and have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets." (Hosea 12:10 NKJV)

Pray:- Lord, brand me with the symbols of Your love, yes, come fly them over my life and also place Your white streaked bark before my almond peering eyes and anoint them with the symbols of the stripped poplar of your unstoppable blessing, in Jesus name I ask it, amen.

Mar | 01 | Of Black Cocks and Mad March Misconceptions

Dream Word – SEE

Ecclesiastes 10:12-13 The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up; The words of his mouth begin with foolishness, And the end of his talk is raving madness. NKJV

Of Black Cocks and Mad March Misconceptions

The fastest land animal in these Island’s of mine, in this now quite, quite mad and not so United Kingdom, is the of course, the hare.
Brown hares are larger than rabbits, with longer limbs, and a loping gait. They have black-tipped ears which are equal in length to their head and in the month of March, they seem to go stark, staring mad!

The observed seeming madness of ‘March Hares,’ is in fact the panic actions of unreceptive females ‘boxing off’ the unwanted attentions of males, who are in turn, bouncing mad with the usual spring fever! Yes, misconception can always lead to seeming madness. Especially in these islands of mine.

For me, it is that majestic county of Cornwall which seems to have become the central repository for all the folklore mysteries and madness of this England Yes, Cornwall for me, has always been a magical but mad place, full of misunderstanding and misconception. For example, it is recorded that just fifty years ago from the time of my writing, a Cornish woman was observed in her window, making a sacrifice as her husband was dying. She did this by taking a black cockerel and wringing its neck. The cock was killed so as to accompany her husband’s soul to the gates of heaven so that when St Peter saw the black cockerel, it would remind him of his own denial of Christ and move him to mercy, so that he would allow her husband through the heavenly gates. How about that for a multitude of mad March misconceptions!

Oh and by the way, if you think the West Country is not just as insane with mad March misconception today as it was over fifty years ago, then just go and visit Glastonbury for a taste of madness on a stick, New Age style.

Winter is passing and the arrival of March marks for all of us, a season of new conceptions, a season of life and a season of new beginnings. All of nature will shortly fill itself up with the ebullient flowers of exuberance, for winter has passed and spring is almost upon us and sunshine and fresh sharpness, follows quickly on! How wonderful. How exciting!

However, I have observed in these times, that always, such a spring release does bring with it a kind of madness and for those wise enough, for those who can for just a few moments each day, stand outside of themselves and listen, stand outside of themselves and look, they will both hear and see, often for the first time, often because only March and the gushering of spring time allow it to spring forth, yes, they will both see and hear, the mild March madness, of their very own misconceptions. None of us are exempt from this, no not one.


Let me encourage you then this coming month especially, to go with the seasonal flow and to let the sap rise within you, then, when you get your ears boxed, as you most surely will, take time to take hold of those mad March misconceptions of yours and once and for all, in your rising light, ring their black and feathered necks.

If you do this, then I tell you, they shall never bother you again!

Listen:- There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; Daniel 5:11a NKJV
The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple. Psalms 119:130 NKJV

Pray:- Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and might are Yours and You change the times and the seasons; You remove kings and raise up kings; You give wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. You reveal deep and secret things; You know what is in the darkness, for light dwells with You. This month of March O God, let those controlling misconceptions of mine be seen in Your light and then my God, let us ring their black necks together. In these things, I ask for a hunter's patience and I ask for a butcher's strength, In Jesus’ mighty name, amen. (from Daniel 2:20-22 NKJV)

Feb | 23 | Jalousie Strudel

Dream Word – SEE

Song of Songs 2:9 My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice. NKJV.
 
Jalousie Strudel

I love food and pastry in particular. The thin elastic qualities of Apple Strudel pastry is a particular delight to me, especially when it's home cooked, as then, more often than not, the thinness of the pastry sometimes opens up like a jammy womb, revealing all the steaming seductive goodness inside! It tell you, when Apple Strudel is cooked correctly, it incites a green jealousness to seep from the curled lips of lesser chefs, especially if they are French! Indeed, a famous French pastry style is named after such green feelings, in that it is call ‘Jalousie!’ This particular pastry is openly slatted in such a way, that it intentionally exposes the yummy goodness of the bubbling and enticing fragrant offering, which waits so obviously wantonly inside. Don’t tell me that food isn’t sexy!

Who’d have thought that this pastry style would go on to inspire Mr. Van Ellis Huff, graduate of Florida University, to invent the parallel angled, glass slatted shutter, world famous ‘Jalousie Window’? Admittedly, Huff got his idea from wooden slatted windows which he observed in British Barbados, but the name and inspiration he got from pastry! Wasn’t it Elisha, who when in need of inspriation, cried out in 2 Kings 3:13 “Bring me a Confectioner!” I’m sure it was.

Yes, this Jealous Jalousie window style, reminds me of the time I lived in South Florida, where most of the older squat, flat, anti-hurricane designed Florida homes, still sported the old style ‘Jalousie Windows,’ which were in turn, markers of an age now long gone, when the only air conditioning available was to open the windows and let through a directed breeze, whilst minimizing the access of hot sunlight.

In Bible times of course, windows were mostly small and completely open. Yet many, especially those higher up and facing outwards, were larger and latticed. People falling out of these to their deaths was a particular problem in both the Old and New Testament, never the less, the latticed windows of old, the old windows of a jealous kind, could be used to foster privacy, whilst giving access to cool breezes and allowing the quiet, unseen observation of approaching people.

In our text for tonight it is the beloved, the bride, who speaks of her lover gazing at her through the lattice. If eyes are the windows of the soul, then they are shuttered with Jalousie eyelids. Our God has jealous eyes for us and we should have jealous eyes for Him! This verse tonight speaks to me of desire, of righteous voyeurism, of jealous protectiveness. My friend, some of you need to make better use of your jealous eyes, observing only Him, allowing only the cool breeze of the Spirit to blow across you and make cool the marbled floor of your own most private soul.

Pastry is seductive. So are our eyes. Let us make a most thorough use of the 'Jalousie Windows' which God has given us. He who has eyes to see, let him be very careful what he sees and allows to blow through the open windows of his soul.

Listen: - For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, And saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, A young man devoid of understanding, Passing along the street near her corner; And he took the path to her house In the twilight, in the evening, In the black and dark night. And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. Proverbs 7:6-10 NKJV

Pray:- O my jealous God! I am betrothed to You. God the Holy Spirit, I open my jealous eyes to You, come and blow across my soul, in cooling and enticing, comforting and exciting breezes. O God the Holy Son, my gaze is fixed on You and in all my secret places, from the corners of my soul I gaze out and wait for You. O Holy Father God, the doors of my inner courtyard and the steps to all my inner chambers and open only to You and for You. Yes, Triune triumphant God, my eyes are turned to You alone. Amen.